Leafing through an old Bible to root out secrets of the past

[rug]

DEBORAH SMITH
12 Nov, 2011 02:30 AM

WHO put them there remains a mystery. But three old, dried leaves found pressed inside a 471-year-old Bible have given up many of their secrets after some scientific sleuthing by a Sydney researcher and his colleagues around the world.

The ornate Bible, published in 1540, was bought from a London antiquarian bookseller in 1977 by the University of Western Australia for £350.

Earlier this year, the university's senior library officer noticed the jagged-edged leaves inserted between its pages.

When Pauline Grierson, a university plant biologist, was unable to identify them, she enlisted the help of John Dodson in Sydney, but he was also unsure.

http://www.westcoastsentinel.com.au/news/world/world/general/leafing-through-an-old-bible-to-root-out-secrets-of-the-past/2355700.aspx?storypage=0

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[rug]

2. Welcome to DU.

My kids collect leaves. I can't imagine a 450 year old leaf. And i couldn't resist the headline.

[handmade34]

3. I get excited

by leaves I find that I put in books 10 years ago!... this story is delightful

[MineralMan]

4. Excellent. Learning from leaves pressed in a Bible from

1560. There is learning to be found everywhere, if we'll only look.

[gateley]

5. Cool story -- thanks! nt

[Deep13]

6. Wow. Quite a find for botonists.

Perhaps it was a favorite tree that had to be cut down and the owner wanted to save something of it.

Anyway, the irony of finding a specimen of a slightly earlier evolved variety of tree in the Bible does not escape me.

[rug]

7. I'm still delighted.

"Out of the ground the Lord God made grow every tree that was delightful to look at" Genesis 2 : 9.

And I know nothing about botany.